The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Morris
- First Name:
- William Richard
- Rank:
- Private
- Regimental #:
- WX8200
- Classification:
- Storeman
- Company:
- ‘C’ Company
- Enlisted:
- 16.08.1940
- Discharged:
- 4.05.1944
- DOB:
- 20.10.1901
- Place of Birth:
- Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- William Morris
- Mothers's Name:
- Catherine (Jane) Morris (nee Sanders)
- Religion:
- Church of England
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Prospector
- Java:
- Evacuated sick, embarked on HMT Stirling Castle at Ceylon 13.3.1942 and disembarked at Melbourne 28.3.1942. Transferred to 5th Military District disembarking HMT Egra on 13/4/1942. Classified medically fit on 27/4/1942 and Taken on Strength to 2/3rd MGB 20.5.1942. Admitted to hospital on 25/11/1942 after an explosives accident and evacuated to 113th Australian General Hospital. Transferred to 115th Australian General Hospital on 18/12/1942. Soldier's right hand was amputated below the wrist on 9/2/1944.
- Return Details 1945:
- Evacuated sick ex‐Java. Embarked on HMT Stirling Castle at Ceylon on 13.3.1942
General Description
Morris enlisted at Menzies August 1940. (read Menzies Enlistments) He later joined 2/4th MGB becoming a Storeman with ‘C’ Company. He was sent to South Australia and Northern Territory with 2/4th for training.
He was one of many 2/4th men who jumped ship (AWL) from ‘Aquitania’ when it anchored at Gage Roads, Fremantle for one night 15 January 1942. Unfortunately Morris was one of about 90 men who were unable to reboard before ‘Aquitania’ sailed for Singapore the next day.
Please read the story
Morris and about 90 X 2/4th soldiers were landed at Java as Singapore was about to fall, where they joined the Allied Forces to fight for Java.
Morris was evacuated sick from Java to Ceylon before the Japanese took Java and probably on one of the last hospital ships to leave Java.
Read about evacuation from Java
He embarked HMT ‘Stirling Castle’ at Ceylon 13 March 1842 and disembarked Melbourne 28 March 1942. He was transferred to 5th Military District Hospital disembarking HMT Egra 13 April 1942.Classified medically fit on 27 April 1942, Morris was Taken on Strength with 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion on 20 May 1942.
Six months later he was admitted to hospital 25 Nov 1942 after an explosives accident and evacuated to 113th Australian General Hospital (Concord, Melbourne) and then transferred to 115th Australian General Hospital (Heidelberg, Melbourne)( on 18 Dec 1942. His right hand was amputated above the wrist on 9 Feb 1944.
__________
William Richard Morris was son of William Morris born 1871 Victoria and Catherine (Jane) (nee Sanders) also born Victoria. They married Victoria in 1795. Their only son William Richard born 1901 in Kalgoorlie. It is believed William had a twin sister Thelma Rose, she was one of 4 sisters. The Morris family lived in Kalgoorlie.
Above and Below: Deaths of two uncles of William Morris (Jnr)
In 1918 Albert Morris died WW1 – the third brother of Bill Morris (Snr) and Morris (Jnr) who would have been aged about 17 years.
Charlie Barden, brother-in-law to William Morris (Jnr) died in Melbourne 1938.
Morris’s father William (Snr) died January 1943 at Victoria Park aged 70. His mother Catherine Jane died Victoria Park January 1951 aged 80 years.
